Ruffling attachment for sewing-machines.



No. 747,257. I PATENTED DEC. 15, 1 903..

. J. $TAIES & W. H. PETRIB. RUPFLING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES:

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1903. N0 MODEL.

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iilwrrnn Starts Patented December 15, 1903.

JAMES STAIRS AND WILLIAM H. PETRIE, OF LITTLEFALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO ROBERT MAOKINNON & OO., OF LITTLEFALLS, NEW

YORK.

-RUFFLING ATTAQHMENT FOR SEWENC MACHINIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,257, dated December 15, 1903.

Application filed May 4:, 1903. 7 Serial 110.155.47 5. (No model.)

lb to whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES STAIRS and WILLIAM H. PETRIEfcitizens of the United States, residing at Littlefalls, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ruffling Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an attachment for sewing-machines; and the object is to provide an improved ruftling or gathering device especially adapted for gathering knit-goods fabric between two finishing bands or tapes while the goods is being sewed therebetween.

Another object is to provide means for regulating the throw of the ruffier-blade, so that more or less of the fabric may be gathered at each operation of the blade to determine the fullness of the ruffle.

A further object is to provide means for guiding the bands or tapes from above and below the knit-goods fabric whereby the ruffler-blade is not hindered in its movements, and, finally, the object is to mount, aggroup, and combine the parts in a novel manner, all as will be more fully described hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the sewingmachine with our improved ruffiing attachment applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail in side elevation of the means for connecting the rocking shaft of the rufifling-arm to the driving-shaft; Fig. 0 is a detail in side elevation of the ruffiing arm and blade. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 1, showing the connection of the driving mechanism for the ruffling device. Fig. 5 is a detail, on an enlarged scale, of the guide for the upper finishingband and showing the relative arrangement of the bands, fabric, and ruffiingblade, with the bed plate of the machine shown in section.

The means for operating the needle and the bobbin are not shown in the drawings, as it forms no part of the present invention; but the main driving-shaft 5, which is journaled in suitable bearings beneath the bed-plate and in the lower end of the bracketarm, is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and has attached to its end the usual balance-wheel 6 and pulley 7. V

On the end of the drive-shaft5 is a crankdish a, provided with a crank-pin a, on which is mounted a link 19, that has a pivotal connection with a rocker-arm b of a rocker c. The rocker c is fixed to a shaft 0, that is journaled in suitable ears 0 on the frame. The

rocker is provided at its upper end with ears From the description thus far given it will be perceived that the drive-shaft will through the crank or eccentric connection impart a vibratory movement to the rocker-arm b and cause the rocker to vibrate on the shaft 0. This will vibrate the bar 8 in the arc of a cirole, reciprocate the feed-dog, and at the same time cause the latter upon the upward and forward movement of'the crank-disk and vibrating bar to be moved upwardly into contact with the lower tape.

The vibrating bar 8 extends beneath the bed-plate to the opposite side of the machine and has a transverse aperture formed therein to receive the free end of an arm 10, which may be adjusted to any position in said aperture by a thumb-screw 9 let into the end of the shaft. By this rigid connection the vibrating bar will carry the arm 10 with it at each vibration. This arm 10 extends through a slot in the bed-plate and has its upper end pivoted, as at 10 to a link 11, which is adj ustably connected at its other end to an arm 12, secured on the rocking shaft 13 by means of a set-screw 14.

The rock-shaft 13 is journaled in suitable bearings 15 and 15, secured to the bracketarm at opposite ends thereof, and it extends horizontally beneath the same at a sufficient distance above the bed-plate to prevent interference with the fabric and the manipulation of the latter. Upon the front end of the shaft is secured a rnffler-arm 16, carrying at its lower end a ruffling-blade 17, which is adapted to engage the knit-goods fabric A at a point in front of the needle and gather the same between the finishing bands or tapes B and B, which are sewed on each side thereof.

To change the throw of the ruffling-arm and its blade, so that more or less of the fabric may be gathered at each operation of the blade and. the fullness of the ruflfle determined, the depending arm 12 is provided with a longitudinal slot 18, which permits the end of the link 11 which carries the thumb-screw 19 to move up or down in said slot and be bound at the desired point by means of the said screw, whereby the oscillation of the arm 12, emanating from the operation of the vibrating bar 8 and its connections, is'increased or decreased and the oscillations of the ruffling-arm 16 are likewise changed.

To permit the end of the link 11 to be adjusted in the slot 18 of the arm 12 without varying the zone or amount of movement of the vibrating shaft and the feed-dog, a plate 20, having longitudinal slots 21, is secured to the end of the link 11 by means of screws 22, so that the link 11 may be lengthened or shortened to accommodate for the vertical adjustment of the same on the arm 12.

When it is desired to have the rufflingblade engage the knit-goods fabric with a greater or less pressure, as is sometimes required in different thicknesses of fabric, the ruffling-blade may be moved vertically on the arm 16,and this vertical adjustment is accomplished by means of the slot 23 and the screws 24, which engage the arm 16 and hold the extension-plate 25 thereon. This extension-plate is formed at its lower end with a right-angular bent portion 26, to the upper face of which is secured the spring rufflingblade 17, having its free end bent slightly upward to insure a positive engagement with the fabric without tearing the latter.

Projecting from the lower end ofthe bracketarm is an arm 27,which supports a guide-plate 28, having a loop 29, through which the upper tape or band passes. This guide-plate is bent downwardly and inwardly and terminates the machine by means of the usual feed-pawl 31, and on the bed-plate near the front edge thereof is secured a suitable guide 30,through which the tape passes. The roller of the upper tape, which is not shown in the drawings, is supported above the machine, and it passes through a guide-arm 32, connected to the upper end of the bracket-arm. This guide consists of an upright portion detachably secured to the bracket arm, and an upper horizontal bent portion 33, formed into a loop through which the tape passes.

As the shaft 13 is rocked in its bearings by the operation above described and the ruffiing-arm and blade are oscillated, the blade upon the forward stroke engages the knit-goods fabric and forms a loop or tuck therein, which is passed beneath the guide 28 of the upper tape and pierced by the needle and thread, whereby the upper and lower tapes -are sewed on each side of the ruffle formed by the blade.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is p In a sewing machine, the combination with the drive-shaft of the machine, of means operated by the drive-shaft for ruffling and sewing knit-goods fabric between two finishing bands or tapes, comprising a rocker connected to and driven by thedrive-shaft and carrying a vibrating bar, a feed-dog operated by and connected to the vibrating bar, an arm adj ustably mounted in the vibrating bar and adapted to move therewith, a rocking shaft carryinga ruffiing arm and blade and having a slotted arm thereon, an extensible link pivoted at one end to the arm of the vibrating bar and adjustably connected at its other end to the arm of the rock-shaft, whereby the throw of the ruffling-blade may be varied without changing the zone of movement of the vibrating bar and the feed-dog.

JAMES STAIRS. WILLIAM H. PETRIE. Witnesses:

O. J. LUNDSTROM, HENRY CHENEY. 

